Sheet-folding device.



No. 747,085. PATENTED DEC. 15, 190 3. J. V. RIBFFEL.

SHEET FOLDING DEVICE.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 27, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES JOSEPH VINCENT RIEFFEL,

Patented December 15, 1903. f

OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

SHEET-FOLDING DEVlCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 747,085, dated December 15, 1903.

Application filed June 27,1903

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH VINCENT RIEE- -FEL, a citizen of the United'States,residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Sheet-Folding Devices, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a sheet-folding device which is more particularly designed for folding bills, letters, circulars, 850., but

which may also be used for folding other arthe clamping-screw forming parts of the folding device. Fig. 4 is a vertical section in line 4. 4, Fig. 2. 1

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

A represents the base or tablet of my improved sheet-folding device, which is preferably of rectangular form and constructed of wood; but the same may be of any other suitable form and material. On top of the tablet is arranged an L shaped gage-bar, having its members B O constructed to form front and side gages or gage-faces b c on their inner sides. These gages are arranged at right angles to each other and are adapted to be engaged by the front and side of the sheet for squaring the same preparatory to folding it. The side gage member O is preferably arranged transversly near one end of the tablet, and the front gage member extends longitudinally inward from one end of the side member 0. The gage-bar maybe secured to the tablet in any suitable manner -for instance, by means of screws d, as shown.

E represents a folding bar or blade around which the sheet is folded after being squared against the gages. This bar is arranged lengthwise of the tablet and extends at its outer end over the side gagebar, while its Serial No. 163,360. (No model.)

inner end extends over the tablet, but is separated therefrom by an intervening space 6, which receives the sheet preparatory to squaring and folding the same. The outer longitudinal edge or face fof the folding-baris parallel with the front gage-face, so that upon folding the lower end of the sheet over this bar the same will register with the upper part of the sheet.

When it is desired tofold a sheet, the front sheet by means of this folding device.

In order to permit of varying the extent of the fold which is produced in the sheets, means are provided for adjusting the foldingbar toward. and from the front gage without disturbing the parallel relation of the folding edge and front gage-face.- Various means may be employed for this purpose. I prefer those shown in the drawings, which are constructed as follows:

Formed lengthwise in the side gage member and at right angles to the front gage member is a slot G, and below this slot the'top of the tablet is provided with a groove 9, which extends lengthwise in the same direction as the slot and is somewhat wider than the slot, so that longitudinal shoulders are formed on the under side of the side gage-bar on opposite sides of its slot.

H represents a clamping screw-bolt, which set or adjusted to the required position for producing a predetermined width of fold in the sheets the side gage-bar is provided with a scale or graduations z', relatively to any one of which the folding edge of the bar G may be brought into alinement. The nut of the clamping-bolt is preferably square and engages its opposite flat sides with the longitudinal sides of the groove in the tablet, thereby holding the nut against turning with the bolt, but permitting the same to move transversely therewith upon shifting the location of the folding-bar.

For preventing the folding-barfrom becoming displaced and compelling the same to always remain with its folding edge in parallelism with the front gage-face a tongue or rib J projects from the under side of the foldingbar into the slot of the side gage-bar and is provided with opposite flat faces, which engage with the corresponding flat or straight longitudinal sides of the slot, thereby permitting the folding-bar when loose to be freely adjusted toward and from the front gageface, but preventing the folding-bar from turning in a plane parallel with the face of the tablet.

It has been found in practice that the folding-bar need not be so long as the front gage, but may be made comparatively short, because the crease when" properly started at one end of the sheet adjacent to the foldingbar can be completed without the presence of the folding-bar".

My improved sheet-folding device permits of folding the various papers which are commonly used in oflice-work uniformly and expeditiously, thereby enabling such papers to be put up in neat packages and permitting the same to be handled more readily than papers which have been folded irregularly.

In addition to serving as a sheet-folding device the same can be'used as an arm-rest adjacent to a book into which entries are being made. For this purpose the inner end of the tablet extends some distance beyond the inner ends of the front gage-bar and the folding-bar, so as to permit this end of the tablet to be inserted between the leaves of a book, leaving the outer end projecting for supporting the arm of the writer.

I claim as my invention- 1. A sheet-folding device comprising a tablet, a front gage and a side gage arrangedon the tablet atright angles to each other, anda folding-bar arranged slightly above the surface of the tablet and parallel with the front gage and supported at its outer end at the side gage while its inner end is unsupported forming an unobstructed space between this end of the bar and the tablet, substantially as set forth.

'2. A sheet-folding device comprising a tablet, a front gage and a side gage arranged on the tablet at right angles to each other, a folding-bar arranged slightly above the surface of the tablet and parallel with the front gage and having its inner end unsupported forming an unobstructed space between this end of the bar and the tablet,and adjusting means supporting the bar at the side gage and permitting the bar to be moved toward and from the front gage, substantially as set forth.

3. A sheet-folding device comprising a tablet, a front gage and a side gage secured to the tablet at right angles to each other, a folding-bar having its inner end unsupported forming an unobstructed space between this end of the bar and the tablet, and means adjustably connecting the outer end'of the folding-bar and the side gage and retaining the same parallel with the front gage, substantially as set forth.

4:. A sheet-folding device comprising. a tablet having a groove in its top, an L-shaped gage-bar secured to the top of the tablet and having a front and side member arranged at right angles to each other, said side member being arranged lengthwise over said groove and having a longitudinal slot, a folding-bar arranged parallel with the front gage member and separated at its inner end by an intervening space from the top of. the tablet while its outer end is provided with a tongue which projects downwardly into the groove in the side gage member, and a clampingbolt passing through the folding-bar and having its nut arranged in said groove and bearing against the under side of the side gage member, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 24th day of J une,1903.

JOSEPH VINCENT RIEFFEL.

Witnesses:

THEO. L. PoPP, EMMA M. GRAHAM. 

